


Pain Can Tear People Apart

by Annide



Series: 1998, or the year everything changed [14]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Domestic Violence, F/M, Family Issues, Grief/Mourning, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2020-11-28 16:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20969741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/pseuds/Annide
Summary: Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy's story: The Malfoys lost a lot during the war. With Voldemort defeated, should they hold on to their old beliefs or try to see things in a new perspective? They will find themselves with different priorities and ideas, and they might not be willing to follow each other's values to the end.





	1. A New State of Being

**Author's Note:**

> Theodore Nott's story is told in reverse and split through parts 2, 12, 14 and 17.

From childhood, they teach you not to approach young animals because the mother is inevitably around and you will get hurt. Her whole life she knew it would apply to humans too. And, from the moment her sister's curse almost killed Ginny Weasley, Narcissa knew. Time slowed down. Everyone around her was fighting in slow motion. She watched as Molly Weasley ran toward Bellatrix, watched as the two battled and watched as her oldest sister lost her life mid-laugh.

Her family had lost so much in the past year. Their high status was gone. Lucius had disgraced them in the eyes of Voldemort and they were nothing anymore. It looked like their side was about to lose the war and then, what? Lucius would be sent to Azkaban and she'd lose him too. She'd lost one of her sisters years ago when Andromeda married a muggle-born, against everything their family believed in. Her other sister just died and she had no idea where her son was. Her and Lucius had been looking for him, but there was no sign of him in all this chaos. All these choices she'd made, they'd made, that's what it had led to. She had lost so much and who knew what was going to happen to Draco. His entire future was in jeopardy. And for what?

When Voldemort died, most people gathered around the dead or sat at tables. Narcissa saw many Death Eaters try to flee and get caught. All she cared about was finding her son. And she did. And the three of them sat, unsure whether they should stay there or try to leave, simply relieved to be together again, and still alive.

Kingsley Shacklebolt took over as Minister for Magic and he was merciful. Because Lucius hadn't made any effort to try to escape after the Battle, and because the Malfoys had lost their status among Voldemort's followers and the respect of the remaining Death Eaters, and thanks to Narcissa lying to Voldemort and letting him believe Harry was dead, Kingsley agreed not to send Lucius to Azkaban. Instead, Narcissa's husband would be put on house arrest at Malfoy Manor.

Among the deceased of the Battle was Vincent Crabbe, a friend of Draco and son of close family friends. His funeral was held on a Sunday, one week after the Battle. As Lucius was confined to their home, Narcissa and Draco went without him. They were stopped at the door by Gregory Goyle, who seemed very upset. She presented her condolences to him, told her son they'd see each other later and joined Mrs Crabbe and Mrs Goyle at the opposite side of the room. Both of their husbands had been sent to Azkaban and Narcissa offered her help and support in this difficult time.

After the funeral, Narcissa accepted to go have a cup of tea with Mrs Crabbe. When she got back home, Narcissa was surprised to find an injured and bloody Theodore Nott. Her son's boyfriend was sitting on the front steps, bruises all over his face, scrapes on his hands and arms, his shirt soaked in blood spilled from his broken nose. He was shaking, looking around nervously, and he struggled up as soon as he saw her.

"Mrs Malfoy, have you seen Draco? Your husband says he's not here." 

"We went to Vincent's funeral together, but I didn't see him when I left. What happened to you?"

"Goyle wouldn't let Draco in, he left almost as soon as you got there. I thought he'd be here by now. I've been waiting a long time."

Panic was clear in Theodore's voice, whatever happened was bad.

"You should come inside, I'll clean you up while you wait for him. Maybe it'll help you calm down a little."

Theodore was reluctant, but seemed to realize there was no better option. He let Narcissa guide him to the kitchen and sat on a stool at the counter. Narcissa took out her wand and started by cleaning out the blood. They didn't speak until she had moved on to fixing his broken nose.

"Now, tell me, Theodore, what happened? Who did this to you?"

"Do you really not know when Draco'll be back?"

"I don't, I'm sorry."

"He hasn't even been in touch since the Battle. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. He hasn't been talking much to me either."

Theodore could hear the sadness in Narcissa's voice. It hadn't been any easier for her recently. For some reason, it made him trust her.

"My father is nowhere to be found, my boyfriend won't talk to me, and now I get followed out of funerals by angry people who want to make me pay for being related to a Death Eater."

"You were attacked." Narcissa had figured it must have been something of the sort, but it was hard to hear it confirmed. "But you weren't even at the Battle, were you?"

"I wasn't. I left with the younger students before it started."

"Then why would anyone want to hurt you? You didn't do anything."

"I am Nott's son. It seems I am deserving of receiving their revenge for what he's done."

"They want to hurt him by hurting you."

"Exactly. But I doubt that'll work."

"Don't say that, despite all that he's done, your father loves you."

Narcissa had finished healing all of Theodore's scrapes and bruises. If it hadn't been for his bloody shirt, and the shaking, there would've been no sign left of the attack.

"I know he does. But I haven't heard from him since I went home during Easter Break. Anyway, I should go. Thank you for the help cleaning this up, and the talk."

"It was no problem at all, you're always welcome here. Don't be afraid to ask if you need anything."

"Actually, Mrs Malfoy, could I ask you not to say anything to Draco about our conversation? I'd rather tell him about the attack myself."

"Of course, I promise. I will tell him you were looking for him, nothing else."

"Thank you again."

Theodore smiled and stood.

"I'll walk you out."

"It's not necessary, please don't get up on my account. This past week has been emotionally draining, I'm sure you need some time to relax as much as I do."

"Yes, and it's not like you haven't been here plenty of times before. I guess you can find the door on your own."

"Have a nice day, Mrs Malfoy."

"You as well, Theodore."

Narcissa watched him go. She felt sad for him. The boy's mother had died when he was very young and now it looked like his father was gone too. She couldn't stop thinking how hard it must be for him to be all alone like this. She would gladly welcome him into the Manor, but he was her son's boyfriend and Draco was the one who should invite him to stay. Talking of which, her son didn't come home until late that night and she only saw him the next morning while she was having breakfast. He seemed to be headed out again and didn't even come by to say hi to his parents.

"Draco, come here for a minute." Narcissa called.

"What?" Draco stopped, but he didn't make a move in her direction.

"Come, I need to talk to you."

Draco reluctantly approached. Lucius didn't even raise his eyes off his Daily Prophet.

"I'm busy, mother, what do you need?"

"Theodore came by yesterday, he was looking for you. He says he hasn't heard from you since the Battle. Why haven't you talked to him?"

"I've had a lot on my mind recently, I just haven't had time to see him."

"But he's your boyfriend, and he looked worried. You should go see him."

"I can't today, maybe tomorrow."

Draco started turning around to leave.

"His father disappeared during the Battle, I think he really needs you. Don't waste time. No matter what you have going on, you should be able to make time for him. Otherwise, why stay with him?"

"Nott disappeared?" Lucius asked. "Why didn't I know about that?"

"I don't know, honey. Theodore told me he hasn't seen him, that's all I know."

"I should see what I can find out." Lucius ran upstairs.

"You're not supposed to contact anyone with connections to the Death Eaters, don't make things worse." Narcissa called after him.

"Don't bother, mother. He never listens."

Draco left and Narcissa once again ended up on her own. You'd think having a husband confined to the house would mean he'd be around more and he'd spend more time with his wife, but Narcissa and Lucius had never been apart as much as they'd been since the Battle. For one, like Draco, Lucius had become more distant. His situation frustrated him and he had no outlet for it. He didn't want to talk to Narcissa about it, and he didn't have a lot of other people to spend time with and talk.

Several of Lucius' friends had died in the Battle. Most of the ones who hadn't been Death Eaters didn't want anything to do with him anymore, while most Death Eaters who survived were in Azkaban. The others either had disappeared or were in hiding. Only a handful was still around and they didn't like coming to the Manor too often, afraid it would arise suspicion. Along with a few acquaintances who had supported Voldemort from afar, they were the only people Lucius socialised with since he wasn't allowed to go anywhere. Lucius tried spending time with his son, but it seemed the more effort he made, the less time Draco spent at the Manor.

Lucius was angry constantly. Voldemort was gone, they had lost and he was locked in his home. He didn't know what to do with his time and felt lost. He had spent his years since Hogwarts building his relationships and working towards the Dark Lord's goals, now all of that was gone. He was mean to everyone, including his wife. Every once in a while, he wondered out loud about trying to restart the movement. Maybe he could replace Voldemort and they could renew their efforts against the muggles.

"Narcissa," Lucius called one day, "do you still have tea with the wives of my Death Eater friends?"

"Do I still have tea with my friends, you mean? Of course, I do. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking maybe you could bring up this idea with them. We could restart the movement. Maybe our sons and daughters could take over the fight. Start anew."

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea."

"We can't simply let ourselves be beaten. We have to do something."

"It's over, Lucius. Harry Potter killed Voldemort. They won. We should try moving on."

"So you want to let mudbloods tarnish our lineage? Let muggles rule the world and force us to keep hiding? We are the superior kind, why shouldn't we live like it?"

"There's nothing we can do. We tried, we followed Voldemort and it only led us to fall in disgrace."

"You're my wife," Lucius raised his voice. "You're meant to support me."

"You barely avoided Azkaban, if you keep going like this, that's where you'll end up."

"This is about our son's future, about what kind of world he'll have to live in."

"Yes, but our son and his friends are adults now. Many his age fought in the Battle. It is up to them now to decide how they'll live. Not you, them. And you can't control what they do. You'll lose your son trying to force him to join you."

"Your sister would be horrified to hear you. I wish she were still here, I know at least Bella would be on my side. She wouldn't let herself be defeated like you are."

Lucius stormed out. What he'd said stung Narcissa. And she was sure he had known it would. She barely recognized the man she married, the man she loved and respected. Things had taken a bad turn for him in recent years and he'd been taking his frustrations out on those closest to him. Since the end of the war, he'd become meaner towards Narcissa, almost cruel at times. Bringing up her recently deceased sister to win an argument was a low she would never have thought he'd go to. But then, she always believed better of him than what he was.

Over the following weeks, Narcissa tried to get Draco to talk to his boyfriend. She hadn't heard from Theodore again, but her son seemed preoccupied and she thought he might need Theodore as much as Theodore needed him. She was convinced the simple fact of being near each other would be beneficial for both of them, even if they didn't have a serious conversation about what was going on with them. However, no matter what she said or did, Draco kept saying he was too busy, or he couldn't face Theodore, or didn't know what he would tell him, or simply avoided her altogether. It was hard to see him so distant, so eager to keep Lucius, and her by association, away.

"Draco, could I have a word?" Narcissa asked as she knocked on her son's door. It was Friday night, three weeks after the Battle, and she was on her way to get ready for bed.

"Of course, mother, you're welcome to come in."

Draco was sitting on his bed, still fully dressed, reading a book he put away before she could see what it was. Narcissa sat by his side, briefly reminded of all the times before she had done so. All the times she had come in here to sing him to sleep or to comfort him from a bad dream. How she missed her little boy. It was so hard to see him grow up and stop needing her, but she knew it was how it went.

"Draco, I know you weren't close to aunt Bella, but would you accompany me to her funeral tomorrow? Normally I'd go with your father, but he can't leave the house."

"If you need my support to get through it, I'll be there."

"I do need you. It'll be a hard day for me. It's hard losing a sister."

"I can imagine. Losing Crabbe was really hard for me, and we weren't brothers."

"But you did practically grow up together. I don't know what happened between you and your friends, but I can't imagine it can't be fixed. You've all known each other longer than you could walk."

"We'll see. Goyle is very upset, but maybe things'll get back to normal with time."

"Let's hope so. Goodnight, my boy."

"Goodnight, mother."

The next day, Narcissa and Draco headed out to Bellatrix's funeral. After they stood for an hour receiving condolences, Narcissa needed some air. She asked Draco to keep her seat and went outside for a few minutes. To her surprise, Theodore was sitting on the front steps. He stood up and went to her as soon as he noticed her presence.

"Mrs Malfoy, I didn't think you'd be out so soon."

"I needed to get out of there for a minute before the service starts. Were you waiting for Draco?"

"No, I actually came hoping to talk to you. I can wait, if you have to get back."

"I have a few minutes. I don't think they would start without me. With Rodolphus back in Azkaban, I am Bella's closest family member here."

Narcissa noticed Theodore seemed nervous. He was trying to hide it and look his usual calm self, but you could see he was a little on edge and every once in a while he looked all around him, like he was afraid of something. It was subtle, but Narcissa had known him long enough to see through any façade he'd put up.

"Are you alright, Theodore? Have you been attacked again?"

"I can handle myself. I wanted to ask you about my father. Did you see him at all at the Battle?"

"Yes, I did."

"When? Where?"

"The last I saw him was in the forest, I think. Then we walked back to the castle, the fighting started again and there was too much chaos to see where anyone went. And I was only preoccupied with finding my son."

"Well, at least it confirms he was there."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Please come inside, maybe after the funeral, we can ask a few friends if they know anything."

"It's nice of you to offer, but I can't stay. I'm going to Ireland. My father knows people over there, maybe they know something, maybe he hid there."

"Be safe, and remember you're always welcome at Malfoy Manor, no matter what you need."

"Thank you, I will. Please don't tell Draco I was here, I'll see him when I get back."

"You know, I tried to get him to send you an owl at least, but he's been very distant."

"I'm sure he'll explain what's going on soon enough."

Theodore disapparated and Narcissa went back inside for the service. It was hard saying goodbye to Bellatrix, the two of them had been so close. Everyone kept telling her how sorry they were that she lost her only sister, that she was alone now, and, for some reason, it bothered her. Narcissa grew up with two sisters, not one. While it was true that Andromeda had been disowned many years ago and they hadn't had contact with her since, she was still alive. Narcissa still had a sister by blood, not having a relationship with her was a choice.

The following week was difficult. Draco was away at Hogwarts to take his N.E.W.T.s, meaning Narcissa and Lucius were always alone together. Lucius was insistent that he wanted Draco to start over the blood purity movement. He was making plans for the both of them. And Narcissa couldn't agree with him. She didn't want her son forced into a life of oppression and of constant battle against the world. She wanted her son to be happy and lead a good life. She wanted peace. Narcissa and Lucius barely talked all week and, when they did, they argued.

A few days after Draco returned from Hogwarts, Theodore reappeared. Lucius saw him sitting on the front steps all morning until Draco came back from wherever he needed to be first thing in the morning. They spent all afternoon in Draco's room. Lucius hovered near the door, trying to hear their conversation. It looked as though they were cleaning, which seemed strange to him. They mostly laughed and teased each other. Lucius heard the name Harry Potter once or twice, and something about a Grimmauld Place in London, but he couldn't make sense of it. He wouldn't learn much of anything about his son's plans through small bits and pieces like that.

"I'm moving out." Draco announced in the middle of dinner that night.

"But where will you go?" Narcissa asked.

"Harry offered me to stay with him."

"Harry? As in Harry Potter? Not a chance." Lucius said.

"The war is over, father, we all have to move on. And I think that, as annoying as he is, Harry is in the best place to help me navigate and understand this new world better."

"But we're your family. You and Potter have been at each other's throat for seven years. You've been going on and on about how much you hate him and how terrible he is." Narcissa pleaded. She didn't want to lose her son. She wished Draco would stay home with her, at least until things settled down. "You can't abandon us for him."

"He won the war. He beat Voldemort. We lost. I think it's time to let go of childhood grudges and old beliefs and try something new. Even if it seems radical at first."

"Don't worry, Mrs Malfoy, I'll be around. I'll make sure they don't kill each other."

Theodore still seemed a little shaky to Narcissa. He looked a lot better than when she last saw him, a lot more calm and composed. Draco hadn't seemed to notice anything different with his boyfriend, or maybe he just thought it was simply how the war changed him. No one had remained the same person they used to be. There was who they were before the war, who they were during it and who they'd become when the Battle of Hogwarts ended.

"You will not move in Harry Potter's house. I will not allow it." Lucius interjected.

"I am a grown man now, father, you can't control me anymore. I am doing what I think is best for me and my future."

Lucius stood up. He was angry. Draco took Theodore's hand, said goodbye and left before his father could say anything else. There was no point trying to argue with Lucius, better to wait for him to calm down. Narcissa was sad to see her only son go like this. She didn't like where he was going, and she'd hope when it came time for him to leave, it would be in better terms than this.


	2. Eye Opening Circumstances

It was a nice day of early June, Narcissa was having tea at Mrs Crabbe's house. She was still shaken by the previous night's events when Draco had unexpectedly moved out of the Manor.

"You know, it's his birthday today. I was gonna get a cake and we would've had a nice celebration the three of us. Maybe with Theodore. Instead, he's moving in with Harry Potter, the boy who ruined all our lives."

"Has to be just a phase." Mrs Goyle said. "I can't imagine him staying there all that long. Having to fend for himself when he's been used to others doing everything for him, living with a boy he never got along with. He'll come back to you in no time, you can count on it."

"You've still got Lucius at least. My son died and my husband was sent to Azkaban, I am truly alone now. You're not. And he can't go anywhere, he's all yours whenever you want." Mrs Crabbe passed cookies around.

"I'm so sorry, I'm complaining about my life when you have it so much worse."

"Don't be sorry, you're allowed to be in pain too. I don't need to talk about mine, but you do, so continue."

"I feel like I'm losing everyone, you know? Bella died, Draco moved out and Lucius... he's not Lucius anymore. Or maybe he is and I just never realized that's who he was before. He's so stubborn, we can't even talk to each other without arguing anymore."

"He's stuck in the past. He used to be successful and powerful and he doesn't want to lose that. He had his taste of power, he'll do everything he can to get it back." Mrs Goyle refilled their cups.

"Don't let it destroy you. Find yourself something else to do. Let him obsess, don't encourage him, maybe he'll get bored and see your point. You want to move on, move on. You can't make him follow you." Mrs Crabbe said.

"Thank you, that sounds like great advice. Now, let's change the subject, what else is new?" Narcissa was tired of feeling down and talking about how bad things were for her. She was hoping her friends had less depressing things to say.

"Actually, we have big news to share with you." Mrs Goyle smiled.

"I'm selling the house." Mrs Crabbe announced. "It's time. I can't live alone in here, surrounded by memories of Vincent."

"It is really big for one person. But where will you go?" Narcissa said.

"To my house." Mrs Goyle answered. "I've got plenty of room. And Gregory actually likes the idea. He said Vincent was like a brother to him and we need to take care of his mother for him."

"That's sweet. These two have always been so close."

Narcissa wished Draco and Gregory could be friends again. She thought if they could become reacquainted, maybe her son would come back to her. Harry Potter could only pull him farther away from his family. And even if Theodore was more present in Draco's life, he had always kept himself at more of a distance with everything Death Eater and Voldemort related. Theodore had never been much the getting involved type, he would only be too happy to set all these differences aside and embrace a friendship with Potter. Narcissa kept her worries about her son to herself and tried to enjoy her time with her own friends.

Meanwhile, at Malfoy Manor, Lucius was absolutely furious. He tried apparating to London to go get his son back, but it didn't work. Evidently, the aurors had put protective charms in place around the Manor to make it impossible to apparate within the grounds. No one had told him this, but now that he thought about it, Narcissa and Draco did keep walking in and out of the gates, always apparating outside. He had been so used to it being common practice while the Manor had served as headquarters for the Death Eaters, he hadn't realized it meant anything.

When Lucius came back inside after failing to walk out of the gates of the property, he broke everything in sight in the entrance hall, and then the living room. He could not believe his perfect pureblood son moved out of the Manor to live in whatever it was Harry Potter, the man responsible for the Dark Lord's demise, called his home. And there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't go anywhere. He couldn't go after Draco. Every letter he sent through owls was read by aurors before it went anywhere. The Manor had been cut off from the Floo network. Most of his friends had to use polyjuice as a disguise if they wanted to visit, but their supply was low, and they didn't have anyone to brew more now that Snape was gone. He had figured out a way to use their dark mark to exchange messages, but anyone who had one would see them.

Lucius hated his situation. He hated being powerless like this. His son was going down a troubling path and he was stuck at home, unable to help him. He was condemned to watch as his son went astray, pulled away from good, pureblood values into a weaker mindset. Lucius regretted leaving Harry Potter to the Dark Lord all these years. He should've ended his life before it was too late. Before Potter killed Voldemort and corrupted Draco. Now, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't get out of his house, let alone go after the boy himself.

Narcissa came home late that night. She was shocked to see the state of the house when she entered, but decided to leave it for now. She was tired and wanted to go to bed more than anything. Lucius was already asleep when she got to their bedroom. He had fallen early, exhausted. Rage could be quite the energy drain. Both unhappy and unwilling to face another day of misery, they lied in bed through most of the morning, safely away from reality. Then, after a copious brunch, they spent the afternoon fixing everything Lucius had broken. They hadn't both stayed home together in a long while. It felt nice to feel each other's presence without talking about anything that was going on, simply relaxing and pretending everything was fine. They had a harsh return to reality the next day when the Sunday Prophet arrived during breakfast. If they had thought things were bad before, it seemed there was still room for it to get worse.

"Oh dear, Lucius!" Narcissa exclaimed when she unrolled the paper.

"What is it?"

Narcissa ended him the Prophet as tears built in her eyes. Lucius's expression went blank as he read the front-page article.

> **SON OF NOTORIOUS DEATH EATER MURDERED**
> 
> ** Theodore Nott, 18, succumbed to blood loss yesterday, 6th June, in the late morning after being attacked by an unidentified wizard in Diagon Alley. The wizard, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, used a spell which recently gained popularity among the ill-intentioned members of the community. The curse creates multiple slashes across the victim's skin, causing them to bleed out rapidly. Despite Harry Potter's best efforts, who was present when the incident occurred, healing charms could not be provided quickly enough to save Nott who died in boyfriend Draco Malfoy's arms. Neither Potter nor Malfoy responded to our request for comments. Witnesses claim the attack was an act of revenge against Nott's father, who is presumably responsible for the deaths of the suspect's family. There is nothing to indicate Theodore Nott had any involvement in** **any dark wizard's activities. Nott Sr is still at large and is being pursued for his role as a Death Eater.**

"It's been a day, why wouldn't Draco send us an owl about this?" Narcissa wondered.

Theodore's face was staring back at them on the front page of the paper, his expression eternally calm and serene. Wherever that picture had come from, it had been taken a long time ago, before Voldemort's return from the looks of it. It wasn't the man they'd seen recently, worried and unsettled, burdened with responsibility, it was a teenager with no other concerns than whether or not the boy he liked felt the same way.

"They proclaim loudly everywhere that the war is over, that they won and everyone is safe now. And then something like this happens.” Lucius said. “They're still coming after us. After our children."

"Maybe Draco was in too much shock, maybe he couldn't let us know because he was in too much pain. Do you think Potter is taking good enough care of him? Should I go over to see how Draco's doing?"

"Nott tried to get his son more involved multiple times, but Theodore was never interested. If he got killed, what does that mean for our son? For all the Death Eater wives? We're all in danger, we should do something."

They both kept spiraling down those paths all week. As Narcissa got ready for the funeral the next Sunday, Lucius kept repeating to her what his plan was. He wanted her to ask people to gather at the Manor after. They could all eat, mourn and maybe organize a resistance movement. They couldn't let themselves be attacked until they all ended up either in Azkaban or dead like Theodore. Narcissa made sounds of acknowledgement every time he paused, but she wasn't really listening. None of that mattered to her, all she cared about was Draco.

Narcissa didn't get to talk to her son at all. He arrived just as it was starting and left immediately after, Potter running after him, trying to get him to stay and talk to people. Draco didn't look well, he seemed completely destroyed. She wished she could do something to lessen his pain, but it was difficult from afar. She was hurt he didn't at least come to see her. Their eyes had met for a moment, so she knew he had noticed her. She was afraid all of this meant he was cutting her and Lucius off. When she came home, Lucius was waiting for her. He immediately stood up and asked her about the funeral, asked her whether anyone was on their way.

"He looked away when he saw me.” She said. “He practically ran away when it was over. Potter tried to get him to stay, but it didn't work. We're losing him, Lucius. We're losing our son."

"His boyfriend just died, he's upset. I'm sure he'll be back in no time. Now, who did you talk to? Who's coming?"

"No one. I went for our son, not to push your agenda."

"But he didn't even talk to you. All you had to do was make a little conversation with people, or even just invite our friends to a post-funeral lunch. Nothing so hard."

Narcissa could see he was angry. She was tired, she had no desire to fight, but it seemed unavoidable.

"Can we talk about this another time? I had a difficult morning."

"Why won't you support me? I asked you to do one simple thing." Lucius was yelling now.

"There are more important things, Lucius. Family matters more than whatever ideals you want to keep risking your freedom for." Narcissa was firm, but she didn't raise her voice too much. She had learned that yelling never got your point across.

"What freedom, Narcissa? I can't get out of the house!"

"You're here with me. You get to see your family and live in this big house instead of being locked in a small cell surrounded by dementors."

"None of my friends can visit, my son left me and you seem to have turned against me."

"I haven't turned against you, Lucius. You're the one being stubborn, you're stuck in the past. I'm moving on, I lost enough already. All that matters is Draco. If there's a chance he's cutting us off because we don't approve of him living with Potter, then I'll show him I can be alright with that."

Narcissa's easiness to accept the fact their son had moved in with Harry Potter was too much for Lucius. He was furious now. He slapped her. He slapped her so hard she fell.

"Narcissa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, it was an accident."

Lucius held out his hand and tried to help her up.

"Don't touch me."

"Narcissa, please, you know I would never intentionally hurt you."

"Do I? You can sleep in one of the guest rooms tonight. I want to be alone."

Things were tense in the Manor for a while, but when you live with someone, every problem eventually gets pushed aside and ignored. Lucius and Narcissa weren't exactly on good terms, nor were they sharing a bedroom anymore, but they were civil. They cohabitated peacefully, exchanging only a minimal amount of words.

Towards the end of July, almost two months after Theodore's death, the Malfoys still hadn't received any news of their son. Worried, and unwilling to let him cut them off that easily, Narcissa decided to pay him a visit herself. So, one morning, she went to Grimmauld Place. She ran into Harry Potter, who was just exiting the house.

"Good morning, Potter."

"Mrs Malfoy, what a surprise." He stopped in his tracks.

"Were you leaving?"

"Yes, I was heading to work."

"On a Saturday?"

"I've been working a lot. But I do have some time if you need anything."

"Oh no, I came to see Draco. We haven't heard from him in a while."

Potter's face fell and he passed his hand over it.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't think. Of course you'd want some news, I should've written to you."

"Why you? My son can write his own letters."

"Mrs Malfoy, Draco hasn't been doing too well.” He said. “At first he tried to find Theodore's killer, but he couldn't. I'm doing everything I can on that front, but he's given up. He won't leave the house anymore."

"Where is he? I need to see him."

"I don't think it's a good idea. There's nothing you can do to help him right now, he's not ready to get better. Seeing him like this would only make you worry more, but I promise Kreacher and I are taking good care of him."

"Please, he's my son."

"Alright, come with me." Potter caved. "I think he's downstairs."

They walked up stone stairs to a newly painted door with a serpent-shaped silver knocker. Narcissa was surprised to see such an element on a house inhabited by Harry Potter. They entered into a dimly lit hall. Harry put his briefcase down next to a troll leg looking umbrella stand. The chandelier also had a snake design. The more Narcissa looked around, the more familiar this house felt to her.

"You have a lot of serpent elements in your home for someone who doesn't belong in Slytherin."

"I inherited this house from my godfather, Sirius. His family were in Slytherin for generations." He paused, as if remembering something. "Oh, you must know that, he was your cousin after all."

“My cousin? Oh, you mean Sirius Black. That’s why everything looks so familiar, I’ve been here before.”

Harry led her through a door and down a flight of stairs. She remembered it. The children were forbidden from going to the kitchen, it was a place for house-elves, not good pure-blood children. Her sisters and the Black boys liked to sneak down there to get away from their parents and other guests, so they could play or talk. She could never forget Walburga’s rage when she found them there once, the woman could yell like no one else.

They reached the bottom and Narcissa was submerged with happy memories. Bella, Andromeda, Regulus, Sirius and she had spent hours during boring Christmas receptions playing all sorts of games down here. It was a safe place where they wouldn’t be bothered by strict parents, a place where they could be themselves freely. She missed the simplicity of childhood sometimes. In contrast to the summer heat outside, this room felt cool. Narcissa stopped at the door.

Draco was sitting at the table. His face was emaciated and he was shivering despite the blanket covering his shoulders. Kreacher, the Blacks’ house-elf, appeared to be force-feeding him some oatmeal. The whole scene was breaking Narcissa’s heart.

“Mister Draco has to eat. Kreacher won’t have Mister Draco let himself die under his watch.”

“Why not? The world needed Theo more than me.”

“Not a good reason.”

“And what would be a good reason, then?”

“Master Regulus sacrificed himself trying to defeat the Dark Lord.”

“Well, I can’t ever be as good as Regulus.” Draco said. “I couldn’t even find the man responsible for Theo’s death, let alone defeat the Dark Lord. I’m not as strong as either of them was. I’m not even as strong as Harry.”

“Mister Draco can be strong too.”

“No, Kreacher, I’m a weak man. I avoided Theo after the Battle, I need a house-elf to drag me downstairs just to eat, I don’t even talk to Dromeda.”

“Mister Draco is hurt, not weak. Mister Draco needs air, he should visit his home. Miss Cissy would love to see him.”

Narcissa’s heart skipped a beat. First, her son mentioned seeing her estranged sister, now Kreacher talked about her, tried to get Draco to visit.

“No, I can’t. I’m not ready to face them again. And I wouldn’t want her to see me like this, it would hurt her too much.”

“Kreacher will make Mister Draco better and then he can visit Malfoy Manor.”

“Try your best, I’m going back to bed.”

Narcissa gestured to Harry and they went back outside. If Draco said he wasn’t ready to see her, she would respect his wishes.

“Did I hear my son mention Dromeda?”

“Yeah, she’s been helping me out with the baby. Most of the time I drop him off at her house, but every once in awhile, like today, she comes here to take care of him.”

“She’s here right now?”

“Oh, right, I should’ve told you. I know you’re not talking.”

“And you have a baby?”

“Dromeda’s daughter, Dora Tonks, and Remus Lupin made me the godfather of their son. They both died during the Battle.”

“I can’t believe Dromeda lost her daughter.”

“And her husband. It’s been hard. Sometimes I think she’s only keeping it together for Teddy’s sake.”

“Our sister also died.”

“Your sister is the one responsible for Tonks’s and Sirius’s deaths,” Harry said, “you won’t find much sympathy for her here.”

“I know she hurt a lot of people, but she was still my sister and I loved her.”

Narcissa knew she couldn’t spend that much time with Harry Potter without getting offended by him. She knew it was too good to be true.

“I’ll be going now. Please take good care of my son.”

“I will. And I’ll write you if there’s anything you should know.”

Narcissa went home. It felt different somehow. Like the good memories in Malfoy Manor had been tainted by all the miserable times during the war and the discomfort since. It felt almost as much like home as Grimmauld Place had. She had spent every Christmas there until she married Lucius.

She still remembered the last one where all five cousins were present. It was the first after Sirius started Hogwarts and he hadn’t been sorted in Slytherin. A member of the House of Black in Gryffindor, what a nightmare. They still all sat together down in the kitchen to play cards, as they had always done growing up, but the atmosphere was tenser now. It was becoming clearer that Sirius was headed a different path, further distancing himself from the family’s values, while Bellatrix had joined the Death Eaters and gotten engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange. They still managed to be friendly for most of the night, though the group felt split in two. On one side were Andromeda and Sirius and on the other, Bellatrix, Narcissa and Regulus. The former part of the group would never be back for the holidays. Andromeda married Ted Tonks in the following months and was disowned, and Sirius stayed at Hogwarts every year after that.

Not only did Malfoy Manor seem less like home, Narcissa had never felt more alone anywhere before. Lucius was cold. She tried to spend time with him, but it was obvious they were growing apart. They had less and less in common. The only thing connecting them was their love for their son, but Draco was gone and they had very different ways to love him. While all Narcissa wanted was for him to be happy no matter how or where, Lucius was intent on bringing him home and involving him in a new Death Eater movement. Her husband truly believed ridding the world of muggles and muggle-borns would create a better future for Draco. Narcissa wasn’t so sure anymore.

Her whole life Narcissa had believed in that pureblood ideology. It was the values she had been raised with. It was the values she raised her son with. It was what shaped all of her decisions, it was what shaped the kind of life Lucius and she had. She never doubted it. She was always sure that purebloods were superior and that muggle-borns shouldn't be. Until now. Now, she doubted. What would've happened if they hadn't thought that way? How different would their lives be if they had been on the other side of the war?

This blood purity obsession had cost them so much, Narcissa wasn't sure it was worth it anymore. She had lost both of her sisters, and her cousins. Her son had lost his boyfriend. She had a niece she never got to know. All of her friends' husbands were either in Azkaban, dead or on the run. Her husband was confined home. They had spent years in a war which damaged their children's health and education. And for what? Would the world really have been better if they'd won? If it had been anything like the last year of the war, Narcissa didn't think so.

As Lucius's desire to go back to the Voldemort era grew, Narcissa realized they might have been wrong their whole lives. They felt farther and farther apart. They couldn't connect anymore. She couldn't feel the chemistry and understanding of the world they once shared. She couldn't even talk to Lucius about anything she was going through, she couldn't tell him how she was questioning everything. She needed someone to talk to, but Lucius got angry whenever she tried to breach the subject. Which is why she didn't tell him where she was going on the first day of September.


	3. Starting Anew

It had taken Narcissa a long time to build up the courage to do this. She had hesitated for weeks. But, in the end, she knew it was what she needed to do next. She had gotten the address from Harry Potter. He had been writing to her semi-regularly over the summer, giving her updates about Draco. Not that his situation changed all that much, but she still enjoyed reading about him. Narcissa rang the doorbell. She was nervous. She half expected to have the door slammed back in her face as soon as it was opened. But it wasn't who her sister was.

"Narcissa!" Andromeda exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we could talk. If that's alright with you, of course." Narcissa was holding her hands together to stop them from shaking. "I feel so much regret about the way we've all treated you."

"Come in."

There was a baby's play carpet in the middle of the living room, with a purple-haired baby lying in the middle. Narcissa assumed it was Dromeda's grandson.

"Tea?" Dromeda asked.

"Yes, please."

Dromeda came back with two cups, handed one to Narcissa and proceeded to sit on the floor near the baby. Narcissa decided to follow her lead and do the same.

"His name is Teddy?"

"Edward, after my husband. But we call him Teddy."

"I'm sorry about your daughter and your husband. And your son-in-law. That's a lot."

"It is." Dromeda took a sip. "I'm glad I have Harry and Teddy. It helps to feel helpful and have people around. I'm sorry about Bella. I thought about going to the funeral, but after all the hurt she's done, I couldn't. And I didn't know if you wanted me there anyway."

"I'm not sure I was ready for that then." Narcissa admitted. "My son decided he wants to change and moved in with Harry Potter so it'd be easier for him. I didn't understand at first. But now. I've realized we've been wrong all those years. Lucius still thinks wizards are better, but I'm not sure it matters anymore. I think family is the most important thing. We never should've disowned you, Dromeda."

"At least you're here now. When I learned your son had moved in with Harry, I was wondering what would happen if we ever ran into each other. I'm glad you reached out before it happened."

"I actually went to Grimmauld Place once to see how my son was doing. I didn't talk to him, but Potter told me you were there helping out with the baby."

"Yes. I never thought I'd raise another child. Especially with the help of the Boy Who Lived who lives in the Black house with Walburga's house-elf, who's taking care of your grieving son."

"It does sound hard to believe."

Dromeda stood up and went to the kitchen.

"Yes. And it's starting to be a lot." She said from the other room. "Harry is juggling work and the baby. And he does his best to help Draco too. You know, he's been put in charge of finding Nott Sr."

Dromeda came back with a plate of biscotti.

"Was he, really? Makes sense, Theodore's father is still unaccounted for in the eyes of the law. Has he told Draco about this? I hope he didn't, it would probably upset him more than anything."

"He hasn't. He's waiting until there's more information, maybe even until he finds him."

"I was hoping Draco would be feeling better by now. Potter sends me updates, but it sounds like nothing is changing much. I know Draco doesn't want me to see him like that, but it is so hard to stay away."

"I don't know how you do it, honestly. I would be running over there in a heartbeat. But he might be right. It might be better if you wait until he's doing better."

"You seem to be doing so well, I wish I could've given my son the kind of strength you've always had."

"Your son is plenty strong, Cissy. I think he's just been too strong for too long."

It felt good to reconnect. Many years had passed and it was difficult at first, but the longer they talked, the longer they spent sitting on the living room floor playing with Teddy, the more natural it seemed. Almost like it used to be when they were sisters living under the same roof. When she left, Narcissa was happy she did this. She hoped they could start seeing each other more regularly. After all, with Draco living with Potter and Dromeda's grandson, their lives were more entwined than ever.

That night at dinner, Narcissa talked about her day to Lucius. He was furious. He threw his plate away. How could she betray him like that? How could she betray the values of long lines of Blacks and Malfoys? And then she tried explaining how she thought they might have been wrong the entire time, that maybe there was no reason to fear the muggles, maybe the muggle-borns weren't that different from them.

"What happened to you? Potter took our son, now you too? Are the blood traitors and mudbloods brainwashing people now?"

Lucius stood and walked toward the drawing room.

"Lucius, you are exaggerating." Narcissa tried to stay calm. She didn't want the situation to escalate. "You have to stop. The war has been over for months. Things are going well, I don't think there's any reason to keep fighting."

She stood too, took a few steps towards him.

"I'm trying to protect us, our lineage, our blood. We can't let them win." Lucius turned to face her.

"Yes, we can. I think Draco was right, we need to change. We need to try seeing things from their perspective."

Lucius struck her. It took all her strength to keep herself from falling.

"Take that back." He said.

"No. I refuse to let you drag me down with you."

She'd had enough. She needed to move forward and she wouldn't let him stand in her way. He had done enough. If it hadn't been for him, his ideas, his mistakes, Draco wouldn't have been forced to join the Death Eaters so young, wouldn't have been given the impossible task of killing Dumbledore. Lucius hadn't been the one Draco confided to, she had been. She was the one who had seen how hard it had been on him, how desperate and frustrated he had gotten when his plan started taking too long. She had been the one unable to sleep, worried sick wondering whether Draco would make it through all of this. Most of the time, Lucius cared more about blood purity than the well-being of his own son. She was ashamed that she let it all happen, that she stood by while her son suffered. But it was enough now. She would stand her ground.

"What about Draco? What about his future? You want him to live in Potter's world? Maybe marry some muggle-born boy now that Theodore Nott is dead?"

"I want him to be happy, Lucius. Don't you want that too?"

"He will never be happy like this."

"Who are you to tell? Your constant attempts to dictate his choices drove him away. He moved out to get away from you."

Lucius hit her again. When she put her hand up to her face, she could feel blood.

"Out!" She said, loud and firm. "Get out."

"You can't throw me out, Narcissa."

"Yes, I can. Get out."

"I'm on house arrest, they'll send me to Azkaban if I leave the grounds."

"I don't care. Go to Azkaban, live in the pool house, flee the country. As long as I don't have to see you."

She started walking away, towards the stairs.

"Narcissa, I didn't mean to hurt you, you know that, right?" Lucius stayed where he was. He knew following her wasn't a good idea. "Narcissa, please. Narcissa!"

It was too late. She couldn't hear him anymore. Defeated, he grabbed his wand from the mantelpiece and started making his way to the pool house. The air was cold outside for this time of year and it stung his skin. He couldn't understand how he could've fallen so low to be walking across the grounds in the sunset, hoping for there to be firewhisky left in the pool house cabinets. As he summoned his belongings into a place they had mostly used to keep the kids from getting water all over the Manor, he thought he had never before felt so lonely.

* * *

Lucius let a week go by. A week of living in the pool house, alone. A week in a place that had one bedroom, a living room and a kitchen. It was small. He felt like he was going insane locked in this tiny little house with no one to talk to. He took his coffee by the pool in the morning, walked around the gardens in the afternoon, but even that wasn't enough. He was starting to feel claustrophobic in there, like he actually was in prison. So he decided it had been long enough. He packed his things again and went back to the main house one day around lunch.

"What are you doing here?" Narcissa asked when she saw him enter the kitchen where she was eating.

"I'm moving back in." Lucius said. "I can take one of the guest rooms if you want. I know what I did was unforgivable, but this is my house. I can't leave the property. The Manor is the only place I can go, I won't limit myself to the pool house. I should at least be allowed to circulate everywhere in my own prison. I'm willing to stay away from our bedroom, because I am very sorry I hurt you, but that's all."

He really was starting to feel less and less at home there. The more months went by, the more things happened to make him want to go elsewhere, like his son leaving without anything he could do to stop him, the more he felt like he was in prison. A much nicer prison than Azkaban, but still a prison.

They somehow managed to live like this, cohabitating more than anything, for the next few weeks. Lucius found he couldn't get through the day without a drink. Narcissa didn't talk to him until late October, despite his attempts at getting back on her good side. She didn't accept his apology, didn't seem to believe him when he said he never meant to hurt her. The only reason she even said anything to him that morning was that they'd received a letter from Draco who wanted to come for a visit. She wanted them to make their son a priority, to make him feel comfortable. She wanted Lucius to agree they should act like nothing was wrong between them, for Draco's sake. He jumped at the opportunity to spend an evening as a family, like they used to be, before everything. Just a normal Malfoy family dinner, like good old times.

Draco arrived still relatively early in the afternoon. He was alone. Lucius was glad it would only be the three of them, he had been worried their son might bring along Potter or the baby he was apparently living with or both. They all sat in the drawing room. A few minutes passed before any of them said anything.

"I'm sorry I haven't come by sooner. I wasn't doing so well over the summer, but I'm better now." Draco broke the silence.

"We missed you, Draco. And we were really sorry to hear about Theodore." Narcissa said.

"Yeah, well, it's been hard for everyone. And as Harry said, can't keep moping around forever. I need to find better things to do with my days."

"Sounds like good advice."

"We're all doing our best over there. I made him agree to spend less time at work so I wouldn't be alone with Kreacher so much."

"Where is he now? I don't want you to feel like he's not welcomed here."

"He's at work, it's the middle of the week. And I thought it would be better if it were just the three of us. I dropped Teddy off at George and Angelina's on my way here."

"Who?"

"George Weasley and his girlfriend. They're expecting a baby of their own so they welcomed a chance to babysit, you know, for practice. Harry trusts them."

Lucius wasn't comfortable with how casually they said all these things. He didn't like them talking about Potter and the Weasleys in such a friendly way. But he refrained from saying anything. He didn't want to start an argument so early. He would wait for the right time to try and get his son to move back.

"I thought Dromeda took care of Teddy while Potter's at work." Narcissa said.

"Yeah, she usually comes over and we take care of him together, now that I'm feeling better." Draco explained. "But she's been sick this week, just a cold or something, and we all thought it was better if she stayed home and I looked over Teddy by myself."

They made small talk and had conversations about their lives most of the afternoon. Draco talked about what it was like at Grimmauld Place with Potter, Andromeda, the paid house-elf and the baby. Lucius held on strongly to his glass, even left to refill it a few times just so he wouldn't have to keep controlling his expressions anymore. Hearing Draco talk about the Dark Lord's murderer, the blood traitor, the slave creature and the half-breed baby like they were his family was almost unbearable. How could his well-raised pure-blood son leave his family of a long line of dignified pure-blood wizards for these people? How could such a thing happen? How could he have let it happen?

Narcissa told Draco about her visit to Andromeda. She had also recently gotten involved with some kind of charity organisation that brought help to victims of the war, people who lost their home, their job, their family members, children who had become orphaned. She sounded passionate about it. It warmed Lucius's heart a little, he hadn't heard her sound like this in a long time. Lucius himself said as little as possible. If he wanted his family back, he had to get through this day without getting into an argument with either of them. He had a plan. If he could convince Draco to come back to live with them, then maybe he had a chance of bringing him back on the right path, a chance to save him.

They eventually had dinner. Everyone was in a good mood. Draco had seemed nervous at first, like he was scared of how they would act around him, scared of the way they would react to his current life. Narcissa had been worried about Lucius, what he would say, how mean he could be. Lucius knew this, she had told him she didn't want him to bring up anything about restarting the Death Eaters, she didn't want him to start a fight. But after an entire afternoon of conversation without any issues coming up, they had both relaxed. They were finally enjoying themselves. It finally felt like the family they used to be. Except Lucius wasn't the head anymore. He was merely present instead of leading them, he felt weak instead of strong.

"Seems like things are going well. Have you thought about what you'd like to do next? A career perhaps?" Lucius asked Draco.

"After what happened to Theo, I was thinking of training to become a healer. Maybe one that goes out to people who get injured and does their best to get them well enough to make it to St Mungo's."

"What a great idea. You did so well at school, I'm sure you'd be a successful healer." Narcissa said.

"I've spent the past two weeks trying to create a spell that would counteract the effects of the one that killed Theo, but I'm not anywhere close to a solution. I wish Snape was still alive, he created that damn spell, he could've helped."

"You'll figure it out, it takes time. If it were easy to create new spells, everyone would do it."

"Snape created the spell that killed Theodore? He betrayed us all _and_ made your boyfriend's murder possible? If he wasn't already dead, I'd take care of it myself." Lucius commented.

"Lucius!"

"It's exactly that kind of ideas that will eventually land you out of here and in Azkaban, father."

Lucius took a deep breath and downed his glass of firewhisky.

"Is that what you hope will happen, son?"

"No. I'm telling you this because I care and don't want to see you end up there."

"You know, it would be easier for you to help me if you moved back here."

"I don't think so, father, but I will make an effort to visit more often from now on."

"You mean, more than once every five months? What, you'll come once a season?" It came out of Lucius's mouth because he could stop it.

"Father, please, I was in bad shape. I'm sorry it's been so long. Maybe we could do weekly dinners?"

"We would love that, Draco." Narcissa answered before Lucius had a chance to embarrass himself any further.

They finished eating without any more incidents. Draco seemed pleased when he left. Overall, Lucius considered the visit a success. He hadn't convinced his son to move back, but weekly visits would give him the perfect opportunity to win him over.

"Really, Lucius? You couldn't spend a few hours with your son without drinking?"

"What are you talking about? You drank too."

"I didn't stumble out of my chair at the end of dinner."

"I tripped, it happens."

"Yes, it happens. When you drink half a bottle of firewhisky in a matter of hours."

"I did what you asked, Narcissa. I kept the peace, I barely said anything, and you're still mad at me? What turned you against me? It seems nothing I do is good enough for you. When did you become so superior?"

"You know what? I'm going to bed. There's no point talking to you. If you want to keep digging that hole you've made for yourself, feel free, I don't care anymore."

Narcissa went up, leaving Lucius alone in the drawing room where he fell asleep on the couch. He woke up mid-morning to the smell of coffee. There was a warm cup on the floor for him. He took it as he sat up. Narcissa was sitting in the chair across from him.

"Thank you." He said.

"We can't keep living like this, Lucius."

Narcissa's eyes were red and slightly puffy. It was clear she had spent more time crying than sleeping. He didn't like seeing her like this. All he had ever wished for was to make her happy, to give her the best life he possibly could.

"Our son will come back to us. It might take time, but I'll win him over eventually."

"No, you won't. All night, I kept thinking how unsafe I feel here, how scared I was all day that you might do something to make us lose Draco forever."

"But I didn't. It went well."

"What about every other week? You drank so much last night you couldn't even make it up the stairs. You barely managed to hold it together during dinner."

"What are you saying?"

"You're not well, Lucius." Narcissa said. "And I think the situation between us, our fights, it doesn't help. Whatever's going on with you is getting worse. I can see you wasting away and it pains me."

"Narcissa, I..."

Tears were welling up in Lucius's eyes.

"I still care about you, Lucius. I still love you. But this isn't working. We've taken different paths. And I don't think you're ready to change. You get angry, you drink, you won't listen. All we do is hurt each other."

"What are you saying?"

They were both crying softly now.

"I'm saying I think... We should get a divorce."

"No, Narcissa. No Malfoy or Black has ever gotten a divorce, we can't do that. We can't become the failures of the family."

"Lucius, it's time we start thinking about ourselves and our lives and not our family's traditions. It's those traditions that led us here, that made us lose so much."

"And it's your desire to stray from them that's tearing us apart."

"Lucius, please. You have to know somewhere inside that this isn't working anymore. We can't even talk without arguing."

"But I love you, Narcissa."

"I know, but I can't stay."

She went up to pack her bags. He stood in the entrance hall, leaning against the wall, waiting for her to come back downstairs. He had lost her, he was aware of it. There was nothing he could do to stop her, it was too late. All he could do was let her go and hope she would come back to him one day, hope that Narcissa and Draco loved him enough not to forget about him, all alone in the Manor. They shared one last hug and she was gone.

Andromeda was surprised to see her there so early in the morning, but when Narcissa asked if she could stay there, she said she would love the company. She welcomed her as though all these years apart had meant nothing. Her little sister needed her help and support, and she was happy to give it.

Lucius and Narcissa had married young. They had thought they would be happy forever together. They never would've believed they could change in ways that would make it impossible for them to stay by each other's side, in ways that would tear them apart.


End file.
